Is there something wrong with my Pioneer 343?!?!

[JJamez]

I've read numerous times on this board that the 343 can play 'anything', including non standard resolutions - specifically XSVCD 352x240 or 320x240.

Well, MINE doesn't... And I'm a bit pissed since I sold my Genica and bought the 343 for this very reason.

For anyone who successfully plays these resolutions on a 343, can you give me an idea of what settings you're using in TMPGEnc??

Thanks in advance.

[ktnwin]

Well, I tried VCD (352x240, CBR 1150) and XVCD (352X240 both CBR and VBR upto 2500), tried SVCD 480X480 (VBR upto 2600). Those all work. XVCD does not play properly at CBR 3000.

I like XVCD at VBR the most because:
1) fast conversion time (like VCD)
2) excellent quality (IHMO), hardly seen any artifacts on a 50" screen TV
3) fit more time on disc compared to SVCD (for similar quality)

Others may disagree with my choice but let's not start another quality war here. OK !

[mrbass]

don't exceed 2700 bitrate and you'll be fine..vcd or svcd

http://www.cdrinfo.com/articles/svcd/
"Video : MPEG2 VBR, average bitrate up to 2.6 mbps"

[JJamez]

mrbass - I'm nowhere NEAR exceeding 2700, so that is not the problem...

ktnwin - I may just be forced to use MPEG1 like you said. I imagine MPEG1 and 2 are close quality and file size-wise, but I was under the impression that MPEG1 does not do true VBR. It also doesn't support 3:2 Pulldown or interlacing as far as I know.

Considering how many people have posted in the past that they supposedly played these low resolutions in MPEG2 on a Pioneer 343, I was really expecting to get more responses this (and some solid ones at that...) C'mon people, help me out! Please?

[ktnwin]

TMPGEnc does convert into MPEG-1 VBR. Kind of amazing. I moved away from SVCD and only produce XVCD (MPEG-1, VBR). The quality is great.
I do not see any technical difference between XSVCD res 352x240 and XVCD 352x240 if both encoded with VBR. Don't you agree? They are both VBR MPEG files, same resolution.

[JJamez]

*bump*